Rti query revelation

Mumbai: A query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that 270 railway employees and 99 security personnel were caught travelling without a valid ticket on Central Railway between 2007-2008 and 2010-11.
CR ticket examiners collected Rs 35, 275 in fines from 99 employees, while departmental action was initiated against 171 in the period.
The security personnel include those from Railway Protection Force, Home Guard and Government Railway Police. While Rs 4,261 was collected in fines from 11 personnel, departmental action was taken against 88, from whom the CR collected Rs 30,999 in fines.
In 2009-2010, 122 railway employees were caught and Rs 42,836 was collected in fines. As many as 50 security personnel were caught for this offence this year and Rs 17,693 collected from them.
In his RTI reply, Atul Rane, senior divisional commercial manager and public information officer, CR, said, “Neither GRP nor Mumbai police personnel are permitted to travel without proper ticket on Indian Railways.”
RTI activist Anil Galgali, who filed the application, said, “I found many instances of railway employees and security personnel travelling without a valid ticket in suburban and non-suburban trains. Many railway employees travel in first class though they are eligible to travel only in second class.”
Galgali said he has sent copies of the RTI reply the heads of police organizations in the state and central government. “The statistics prove that it is a serious issue and the organization heads should issue instructions or initiate steps to stop this practice among their employees.”